The Untold Story of Amelia Lightwood
by herondalemadisen
Summary: Amelia Lightwood is a disappointment. Her only supporter is her brother, Jonathon, and the warlock Tessa Gray. So when an opportunity comes up to find the hidden Fairchild, Amelia takes it immediately. However, this is her first time away from home along with her first rescue. She will either succeed, or die trying.


**_The Untold Story of Amelia Lightwood_**

 **Chapter One**

Amelia Lightwood knew she was a disappointment.

She was a disappointment to her iron-willed mother, Sophie.

She was a disappointment to her honorable father, Gideon.

She was even a disappointment to the infamous Will Herondale, which made no sense, for she hardly knew him at all.

The only people who ever supported Amelia were her twin brother, Jonathon Lightwood (who went by Jack), and the warlock Tessa Gray, who sometimes paid visits to her home when her cocky husband was off hunting demons or running an Enclave meeting at their Institute in London.

On one particular evening, Tessa brought her children, James and Lucie, to the Lightwood's home in Birmingham using a portal. Those children annoyed Amelia greatly, as they each had more than two summers on her and Jonathon, and talked down to them both. Besides, they had too much Will in them and could often be found making rude jokes and puns at dinner. Amelia's parents didn't seem to mind, and Tessa obviously adored her two very rambunctious adolescences. However, Amelia just couldn't stand them.

And they despised ducks. Amelia loved ducks. She had a pond full of them in her backyard.

Once they had all gathered around the dining table for supper, Sophie brought out platters upon platters of food. There was roast beef, stuffed pheasant, candied almonds, soups of all flavors, and a cake that towered way above Amelia's head.

"Where is William tonight, Tessa?" Sophie wondered, sitting at the head of the table. Amelia's mother had once been a serving girl for the warlock and they had kept up a steady friendship through the last twenty years.

"Oh," Tessa waved a hand dismissively. "Doing some work with Gabriel. Apparently a downworlder has been caught smuggling poisoned confectionary into sweet shops. Mundanes have been dropping down dead throughout all of London. It is a most messy business that we would like resolved as soon as possible."

"And what of Cecily?" Gideon asked. "My brother does not speak of his wife when he comes over."

Cecily Herondale was the younger sister of Will. Amelia had to admit, she liked her way better. Cecily still possessed the sarcasm of her brother, but at least she behaved like a proper lady. Even though she was a Shadowhunter, Cecily refused to bring up topics such as murderers and blood and gore where they weren't needed.

"She is doing fine," Tessa said. "In fact, she is now traveling with Gabriel around Europe with their children. It is hard to believe they married nearly twelve years ago."

Gideon chuckled. "My brother was most angry at Will after he finished his speech at the wedding."

Tessa sighed. "As was his sister. I must confess, I had thought he'd grown up a bit since I first met him two decades prior."

"Mum, dad will never grow up," Lucie said, a sparkle gleaming in her eye.

"Yes, I know that," Tessa shook her head. "But I most certainly did _not_ know that William would sing his Demon Pox melody when Cecily was walking up the aisle to meet her fiancé."

James grinned. "Demon pox, oh demon pox…"

Lucie laughed, joining in. "Just how is it acquired? One must go down t..."

Tessa stopped her mid song. "That is quite enough. Do not forget that there are children present."

Amelia scowled. "We are not children. We're sixteen years old. And we know perfectly well how," she flushed brightly. "One goes about getting demon pox."

"Then you can join in with our singing," James flashed a smile at her. He looped an arm around Lucy and they continued to laugh, humming the song under their breaths.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Amelia, how have you and Jonathon been doing?"

"Fine," Amelia said, glowering at James and Lucie. "It is a little boring here without other children, though. I have only Jack. He gets a bit bothersome sometimes."

"No, I don't," Jonathon shot daggers at Amelia, his eyes cutting into her. She just lifted up a shoulder in a lopsided shrug.

"How's your Parabatai, James?" Gideon turned to the boy.

"Matthew's doing okay," James said. "He no longer laughs at my demon pox jokes."

"What a shame," Amelia said as sarcastically as she could.

James just stared at her for a moment before giving her a frown. "Lightwoods aren't supposed to use sarcasm. That's reserved for Herondales only."

"Really?" Jonathon stared at him coolly. "And why is that?"

"Because our wit and attractive features combine to make us one of the most beloved Shadowhunter families in the world," Lucie said, standing up. James joined her.

Jonathon rose from his seat. Fortunately, this action worked in his favor. He had a few inches on James, and a head on Lucie. Amelia, who was short, stayed in her chair.

"Might I remind you that your grandfather had his marks stripped off for falling in love with a mundane," Jonathon said. "And you still call yourselves beloved..."

Lucie snarled at him.

"Children," Gideon's loud voice cut through their argument like a knife sliding through butter. "Please. All Shadowhunters are equal. It would do you all good to remember that."

"Now, Lucie, James, Amelia, Jack, please go out into the garden," Sophie instructed. "It would do you all good to get some air."

Wordlessly, the four young men and women stalked out of the room.

"What is wrong with you Lightwoods?" James demanded, rounding on Amelia and Jonathon as soon as they stepped outside. "Behaving like little kids…We could have stayed with our parents and actually contributed to their conversation as they discussed matters that were important in the Shadowhunting community. But you ruined it! Now we must go eavesdrop."

He and Lucie scaled the wall of the Lightwoods' home, as agile as cats. After a moment's hesitation, Jonathon followed them. Amelia came up after him.

James took out a stele as soon as they reached the roof. Similar to the roofs of other Institutes, the Lightwoods' was flat. Shadowhunters could come up there and train. From the top of their house, Amelia and Jonathon had learned how to fall from high places, fight with sure feet, and leap from place to place.

"Nobody move," James said. "I'm gonna cut a hole through your shingles, we'll all drop down onto the floor of your upper floor, and then I'll draw the rune my father used to turn your carpet to glass."

"Going to," Amelia corrected. James just looked at her.

"Pardon?"

"You said 'gonna'," she said. "I'm correcting you on your grammatical usage. For someone who reads a lot, you sure don't have a proper understanding of the English language."

James scowled as she continued to speak. Lucie was laughing. "And there's an easier way to eavesdrop. All you do is scurry down to that ledge above the stained-glass window, look down, use the rune to turn the colored glass to something clear, and listen."

Before the Herondales could say something clever and put Amelia in her place, she and Jonathon were crawling alongside the building, stopping when they reached the aforementioned ledge. Amelia and Jonathon settled themselves in the grooves they always used for spying and patiently waited for James and Lucie to join them.

"If you told us about this before, I wouldn't have had to waste energy coming up with a way to listen to our parents' conversation!" James complained. "How was I supposed to know this was here?"

"You weren't," Jonathon said. "This is Lia's and my home, and we know it far better than both of you ever will."

James said something unprintable and they began to squabble. Everyone fell silent when Tessa's soft words came drifting from the table up to the window.

"…about Charles and Matthew's little brother, Alaric. The last Fairchild."


End file.
